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Crop ProductionMicro-credits for small producers in ArgentinaSubmitted by Guest on Thu, 06/23/2005 - 15:56
María Angélica Sbarbatti, Teresa Sunde and Myrian DreyerIn: UA Magazine 9 - Financing Urban Agriculture Urban agriculture in implies small-scale activities to supplement household income. There is no entrepreneurial concept, as in large industries. Resources are available through temporary work plans, such as the Pro-Huerta (Pro-Garden) Programme of INTA (National Institute of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Technology) and the PSA (Social Agricultural Programme). Although the economic crisis has been weakening the integration processes in the country, conditions exist that allow the generation of a positive change through urban farming activities, as small producers are the true motors behind development. The PSA, created in 1993, focuses on conditions for change. The rural micro-credit programme has been adapted to producers in periurban and urban areas, promoting transformation of production systems via the provision of training, financial and technical assistance. ( categories: )
The Marketing Manager in GhanaSubmitted by Guest on Thu, 06/23/2005 - 15:54
George Danso and Pay DrechselIn: UA Magazine 9 - Financing Urban Agriculture While many agricultural activities in Ghana are financed either by the government or by external aid, the urban farmers producing for the market usually have to rely on own funds to start their businesses, or rely on credit from market women for the purchase of inputs. Some urban farmers do not rely on any support and bypass this dependency. An example of this is a group of seven farmers in Accra described here. ( categories: )
Wastewater Treatment and Reuse for Food and Water SecuritySubmitted by Guest on Thu, 06/23/2005 - 11:40
Naser I. FaruquiIn: UA Magazine 8 - Wastewater Reuse in Urban Agriculture In the Middle Eastern and North African countries under MENA, water is the key development issue. This situation is compounded by the high urbanisation rate in MENA. It is expected that water will increasingly be taken out of agriculture and put into urban areas. This means that the region will increasingly suffer from twin and related problems of food and water insecurity. ). How can these seemingly contradictory objectives be reconciled? The answer is water-demand management; more efficient water use within all sectors. ( categories: )
Costs and Benefits of Urban Agriculture in East London (a discussion paper)Submitted by Guest on Tue, 06/21/2005 - 18:35
James PettsIn: UA Magazine 7 - Economic Aspects of Urban Agriculture Studies calculating the contribution of urban agriculture to income are unlikely to accurately estimate the quantities of food produced because informal agricultural activities are not generally included. This paper explores some of the current issues and economic aspects of urban and periurban agriculture in East London. Since a formal analysis of the economic costs and benefits is beyond the bounds of this paper, it is intended to lead to discussion of the need to support a re-development of a sustainable, food economy in East London, support for sustainable, social enterprises, and a rethink of our cities' relationship to food. ( categories: )
Trust Funds as Financing Mechanism for Participatory Urban AgricultureSubmitted by Guest on Tue, 06/21/2005 - 18:33
César Jaramillo AvilaIn: UA Magazine 7 - Economic Aspects of Urban Agriculture Among the approximately two million residents of the Metropolitan District of Quito, Ecuador, 45% live in conditions of poverty, and 12% in destitution. These conditions are linked to and aggravated by the economic crisis produced by the structural adjustment policies of the last three years. The "AGRUPAR" Programme, described here, aims to combat the disproportionate impact of the economic crisis on the poorest urban populations, focusing on the generation of income and employment and ecological protection of natural resources. ( categories: )
Maximizing Private and Social Gains of Wastewater Agriculture in HaroonabadSubmitted by Guest on Tue, 06/21/2005 - 18:30
Mehmood Ul HassanIn: UA Magazine 7 - Economic Aspects of Urban Agriculture In many low income countries, municipalities often lack necessary physical, financial, institutional and regulatory means to safely dispose of wastewater. On the other hand, farmers in urban and periurban areas find wastewater to be a valuable resource to grow high value crops. Wastewater becomes especially precious for farmers in water scarce situations. Unless effective regulatory mechanisms are enforced, the users of wastewater tend to ignore social costs as long as the private gains from wastewater agriculture exceed private costs. This paper presents data from a case study from Pakistan's southern Punjab, and estimates private and social gains from wastewater agriculture and compares these to the freshwater agriculture. The paper argues that by adopting more farmer-inclusive approaches to wastewater disposal by the planners, both the private and social gains could be maximised. ( categories: )
Urban agriculture Impact: reduction of prices in HavanaSubmitted by Guest on Tue, 06/21/2005 - 18:22
Mario González NovoIn: UA Magazine 7 - Economic Aspects of Urban Agriculture Urban agriculture emerged in Cuba, specifically Havana, from the economic crisis of 1989, as a response to food insecurity, and has become one of the largest sources of employment in Havana. The existance of agriculture in the city has influenced the prices of agricultural products in Havana. Can Urban Rooftop Microfarms be Profitable?Submitted by Guest on Tue, 06/21/2005 - 18:20
Geoff WilsonIn: UA Magazine 7 - Economic Aspects of Urban Agriculture The question raised in the title has been answered on paper by the Southside Chamber of Commerce in the city of Brisbane, in sub-tropical Australia. The chamber calculated that a "rooftop microfarm" based on waste management could yield around 20% return on invested capital, and employ three to four people. The Southside Chamber of Commerce Urban Agriculture Group is now considering how to fund a pilot project in Mt Gravatt Central in Brisbane, in the state of Queensland to prove the feasibility study findings. The project is described here. ( categories: )
Economic Impact of Using Low External Inputs in the Chinampa Periurban Agricultural SystemSubmitted by Guest on Tue, 06/21/2005 - 18:13
R. Soriano, J.D. Leaver, G. Woodgate and H. LosadaIn: UA Magazine 7 - Economic Aspects of Urban Agriculture A study was carried out in order to assess the economic performance of the periurban agroecosystem known as "chinampa". Chinampa is small piece of land of irregular form, of pre-Hispanic origin, where inhabitants from the valley of Mexico still produced a diversity of plants for the city. These were built in a lacustrine setting by reclaiming land bordering a lake and building the plots and a network of channels. Results showed a different use of inputs in the four chinampa plots studied and different economic performances, although all were positive. Farmers with lower use of external inputs (seeds and fertilisers) were less productive in terms of yields but obtained better returns per each dollar invested. This shows the importance of the use of local resources and its positive impact on the economies of small-scale farmers in a periurban setting. ( categories: )
The Economic Impact of Urban Agriculture on home gardeners in OuagadougouSubmitted by Guest on Tue, 06/21/2005 - 18:10
S. Gerstl, G. Cissé and M. TannerIn: UA Magazine 7 - Economic Aspects of Urban Agriculture Urban agriculture can provide benefits but also risks for urban inhabitants. This study confirmed that the strengths overshadow the risks of practicing home gardening in a sub-Sahelian setting, and underlined the positive economic impact and food security for home gardeners. However, these two benefits depend on seasonal variations and external factors. Nevertheless, home gardeners still have a precarious existence and need strategies for increasing their security. This article is based on a study of the socio-economic impact of home gardening in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou (Gerstl 2001). Among other aspects, this study examined home gardening as a livelihood compared to other livelihood activities carried out by people with a similar background, both in terms of amount of income and in the way it varied from season to season and from place to place. The reasons for this variation were investigated, in order to make suggestions on how the situation for these families could be improved. ( categories: )
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